The witch wants to survive.
W. Flower_Hwaryeong
“Get up and eat some of this first.”
He brought the cooled soup to his mouth. Though he'd made up his mind, V was right in front of him, making it difficult to move as he pleased. Normally, he would have run wild, obsessed with revenge, but this time was different. V was hurt. And it was his fault. The thought of the child he'd raised like his own child giving up a part of himself for his sake sent shivers down his spine. So he decided to put revenge on hold for now. He hadn't even planned to put it off entirely; he'd planned to move occasionally while tending to V...
“Will you stop laughing?”
“…Big, when did you say I ever laughed?”
This guy was getting on my nerves. From the first time I offered to take care of him until today, a week later, every time I fed him or occasionally cast a sympathy spell, V couldn't control the corners of his mouth. He was sick and suffering right now, so I couldn't understand what on earth he was so happy about. I wanted to throw him a spoon and tell him to eat, but since this was all my fault, I couldn't lower or raise the spoon, and could only hold it tightly. So V, who was leaning against the headboard, noticed the mood and spoke with an effort to lower his face.
“…Lord Karcia, you may not know what I’m thinking, but I’m reminded of the old days.”
“Thinking about the old days?”
I absentmindedly put down my spoon and nodded shyly. By old memories, I mean when V was rescued by Karcia and had just entered her house. Back then, V wasn't as healthy as he is now. Malnutrition was a given due to poor nutrition, and he had many broken parts here and there, so Karcia had to take care of him. He seemed to be talking about that time. There was a reason why V was so excited. After that, he diligently treated him and became healthier than an average person, swinging his sword, so Karcia no longer paid attention to him. So, even though she didn't say anything, she must have felt sad.
“Hey. That’s because you weren’t very well back then. Later on, you ate well and are now a head taller than me. Don’t you find it a little strange that I’m concerned?”
"still…"
“Besides, it’s a bit much for a grown man to act like a child to me.”
“I was Karcia’s ‘baby’, wasn’t I?”
My shoulders trembled. I had nothing to say. Karcia always called V "Baby" or "Taehyung," but I didn't know he would use that as an excuse to tackle me. But Karcia had his reasons. Back then, he was shorter than me and had a boyish charm, so I found him cute in a way... But now he was a head taller than me, and his body had gotten bulkier, so rather than cute, he was a bit... creepy, maybe? Anyway, it felt a little awkward to treat him like before. And recently, I was with Hines, and V was in the north as a monster, so it couldn't help but be awkward.
“Besides, considering the age difference, I am Karcia’s child, right? Since you said you don’t remember my age, there is a roughly… 470 year age difference, right?
“… …”
This is because of my age... I frowned without realizing it, and V burst out laughing, 'Phew-.' V couldn't stop laughing. She always had a cold expression on her face in front of others, so the fact that she was the only one to show her expression in front of him made him happy, even if it was annoying. However, she had already been hurt and betrayed by someone she loved. Even if she didn't say anything, if you tried to approach her, she would firmly draw the line.
It was painful. It was painful that she was betrayed and hurt, and it was painful that I couldn't express my feelings because of that one guy.
“By the way, shouldn’t you be getting out of bed soon? It’s been a week.”
“I see you have something to do.”
"…that's right."
He was quick on the uptake. I wanted to ask how he knew, but that wasn't the issue for now. I shifted my gaze to the hand I'd clenched and pinned. It'd been more than ten days since I'd woken up and recovered. Still, seeing as the closed magic showed no sign of opening, it was almost certain.
The magic power was sealed.
I don't know why, but I'm certain that magical power exists within my body. As the only witch in this world, Carcia had no reason not to notice. The only question is, why did God seal my magical power? Of course, even with the magical power I have at my disposal, I have no problem exacting revenge. Even in my current state, I could easily defeat the Magic Tower Master. However, this was a matter of scope.
Witches were the domain of the gods. Those with human bodies but magical powers that surpassed those of gods were called "demigods" by the gods. For example, reviving the recently dead, conversing with the dead, or healing injuries as if they never existed. The role of a "demigod" was to do things that only gods could do. Among humans, it was similar to magical power, so they called Carcia a "witch." However, judging by the fact that part of her power was now sealed... It seemed that between magical power and divine power, the "divine power" was limited. This meant that even if V was injured or died, she could not be healed or revived until the seal was released.
“…It seems like the power has been sealed.”
"…yes?."
V's eyes grew wide. Knowing where Carcia's power came from, he didn't ask anything else but just one question. 'Is it the power of a god?' He asked because he confirmed that she had used the magic of empathy, so he assumed that her magical power wasn't sealed. Carcia nodded. Since she had always been immortal and had only thought about death, losing her power was impossible for her, and it was something she would never have dared to imagine.
"I think it would be best to meet with the Magic Tower Master first. He's the only one who knows the most about magic."
“… …”
“But the problem is that the sealed power is said to be the ‘power of God’… I don’t know if the Magic Tower Master is proficient in that.”
V offered a more ultimate solution than comforting words. This likely suited Carcia's personality. She, more than anyone, detests pity.
But even though V offered a solution, Carcia couldn't relax. Having lost her "divine powers," she was no different from any other human with "strong" magical powers. For the first time, she felt helpless, fearing she might not be able to protect those around her. It was a feeling she'd never felt in her five hundred years of life.
“Don’t worry, Carcia.”
A warm hand touched her cheek, and her head rose. A gentle touch, a kind voice. These were the things Hines always did for Carcia. She closed her eyes tightly. Who am I overlapping with who right now… I feel sorry for V. V, who felt guilty about how he ended up like this, stroked her cheek with his thumb.
“Don’t feel guilty. I… would have done the same thing even if you were a villain.”
“…Taehyung.”
“So what if you’re a bad person to others? You’re already my one and only ‘god.’”
Carcia shook her head internally. "That's not it, Taehyung." She smiled bitterly. "The only person I can trust, the only person I can stand with my back against. I saw you as Hines…" she couldn't say out loud. "Aren't you just trash?"
From that day on, V got up from his bed and sent letters to the magic tower several times. I hoped that Carcia would recover as soon as possible. That thought made him hurry even more. Even though it didn't show on the outside, V, who had been by her side for a long time, could tell how depressed she was. Sometimes, he felt uneasy. It was fortunate that Carcia came back alive, but because of the aftereffects of being betrayed by her loved one, he couldn't see her with the same spirit as before, and he was afraid that she would give up hope in life once again.
So I wanted to help you feel better as soon as possible…
“There was no reply today either.”
“… …”
Shit, this damned Magic Tower owner isn't even replying. Karen's words were so absurd that she almost burst out laughing. Yeah, I understand. How flustered would he be if he suddenly came to the mansion and asked to meet her? However, since he still had to hide Carcia's identity, he showed some sincerity. But V was shocked that he didn't accept or reject the letter, and just ignored it. They say Magic Tower owner is arrogant, so V thought he should go in and slap him in the face. He picked up the jacket hanging on the chair and headed for the door.
Bam, —
“It must have been quite urgent.”
V's footsteps stopped. He'd come in. Without warning, the study door swung open—there was only one person who could open it… V's brow furrowed. That meant it wasn't Carcia.
“It was unexpected. I was so rude, but you’ve been so patient up until now.”
“… …”
"It seems the rumors aren't entirely true. Or is this urgent enough to put that monstrous personality to rest?"
“…Matapju.”
The man leaning against the door, standing awkwardly, had a mischievous smile on his face. He was the youngest person to ascend to the Magic Tower, and was praised by those around him for his powerful magic. V couldn't treat him like everyone else.
The Demon King, a genius with inherited demonic blood.
“J-Hope Fidelio.”
“… …”
“I am the one you were looking for, ‘Matapju.’”
It was ‘half-horse’.
————————————————————————
name : J-Hope Fidelio[Youngest Matapju]
—Half-demon, half-human blood, ‘half-demon’
— To ordinary people, he is just a friendly and intimate person, but to those with a keen eye, he is the number one dangerous person because his true intentions are unknown.